Chipizh are potato chips made in Brittany, France, with Pontivy potatoes, Guérande salt and the know-how of a local man.
After spending more than 12 years in Barcelona, Brewen Duneau decided to return to his roots in La Baule, a beautiful seaside resort town in southern Brittany, France, to promote food products that represent the region’s heritage.
As a lover of savory foods, Brewen felt a nostalgic longing for the potato chips his grandmother made for him. He decided to recreate this childhood delicacy, and worked on his idea for six months. Finally, with a solid business plan in hand, he set up a chip manufacturing plant in Guérande, a medieval town in the salt marshes of Western France.
An Entirely Handmade Production Line
Brewen came up with the perfect chip recipe that brought back delicious memories of his childhood. And the secret behind the unique taste of Chipizh? “They’re 70% potatoes and 29% sunflower oil, with a light touch of Guérande salt,” he said.
Brewen added, “the potato slices are not blanched before cooking. They are cooked in a cauldron and salted by hand, just enough to give them flavor without denaturing them”.
He deliberately set out to create a manufacturing process that avoided palm oil and artificial flavors.
The result? A delicious, artisanal chip with the flavor of Brittany.
Now a little about the brand name Chipizh. The French word for Brittany is Breizh. Duneau was playing around with the word ‘chips,’ and the name ‘Breizh’, his beloved French homeland.
And then the lightbulb moment: Chipizh!
Exclusive Local Partnerships
Brewen sources his potatoes from a regional farmer who specializes in growing the traditional varieties that are key to Chipizh’s success. He sources the salt from a local salt harvester who uses a manual salt extraction process that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Chipizh is sold through supermarkets, hotels, campsites, pubs, cheese dairies, delicatessens and cellars within a radius of 100 km, including the French regions of Nantes, Vannes, Pornic, and Guérande. He also distributes products as far away as Lithuania!
Brewen is also planning an ecommerce site for those artisanal chip lovers around the globe.
Packaging With the Right Shade of Blue, Thanks to ePac
Brewen had formulated the perfect chip, but the only thing missing was the perfect chip packaging.
Luckily, a good friend recommended ePac. He wanted a packaging partner that could create quality chip packaging, with the high barrier properties essential for preserving these crunchy treats. ePac’s plant in Lyon, France was able to deliver just that. Since then, ePac has already filled 5 rollstock orders within just a few months!
Brewen said, “I very much appreciate my collaboration with ePac, because they responded very well to my requirements, specifically a very particular shade of blue. They offered me a premium, lightweight, high barrier, Matte BOPP/METBOPP material that gives the pouches a very nice feel. That soft touch feel. Apart from that, they were able to print small quantities quickly at attractive prices, which is essential when you start a business“.
What Does the Future Hold for Chipizh?
Demand has been crazy for Chipizh, and Brewen is already planning to install a machine that will allow him to quadruple production by the summer. And with the online store in the works, he doesn’t see demand slowing down any time soon.
